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Intuit announced the release of its Quicken 2003 product line and the upcoming release of the new Quicken Brokerage that's powered by Siebert. There will also be a brand new product, Quicken 2003 Premier, which is designed to help customers optimize their finances.

According to Intuit, Quicken Brokerage powered by Siebert, will be the only major online brokerage that proactively informs users of the potential tax implications of a trade before they make it. And together, the two products may create an entirely new category called "unified financial management" that combines personal financial software and brokerage services in a unique way.

Intuit says that the combined solution leverages the account consolidation and analysis tools of Quicken, with the ability to take immediate action via integrated trading links from Quicken software to Quicken Brokerage powered by Siebert.

The Quicken 2003 product line will feature a new look and feel that is the result of the company's latest customer research program. The company says that Quicken mirrors the way customers think about finances, and that Quicken 2003 proved to be easier to use than previous versions of Quicken or the personal finance software of its major competitor.

Quicken 2003's new Guided Setup promises to let both new users and upgraders select and achieve their financial goals by telling the software exactly what they want to get out of it. The cornerstone of the new design is the Account Bar that provides one-click access to all accounts and a view of balances and net worth. The Centers of the Account Bar (Cash Flow, Investing, and Property & Debt), organize accounts for easy access to information. Each center contains a "My Data" tab that offers alerts, account information and other features that may make it easy to identify what needs to be done.

Quicken now connects to more than 2,000 banks, credit card companies, investment companies and 401(k) providers. Additional enhancements may make it easier to set up online downloads to minimize data entry and schedule when Quicken should download data.

Quicken 2003 Premier may help customers better evaluate their financial situation and make better decisions by alerting them when they can do better. More than just an "F-Y-I," the redesigned alerts system is designed to notify the user of the important investing and tax issues they should be aware of as well as market changes that may impact their finances.